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Sunday, 1 May 2016

To the hills again - and a Spring Festival

I'm never without a notebook!

Should you be visiting this blog for the first time - forget 'Grandma' in the title. Not quite sure how she crept into the scene ... though a working grandma who by next year will have been writing professionally for fifty years, is perhaps allowed to indicate her experience in her blog title!

It's Spring ... the hills are again calling ... watching benignly over the Three Counties Showground on the outskirts of Malvern, Worcerstershire, and right on the borders of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. And I cannot wait to be back at a venue that over the last ten years I have come to love, cherishing moments of pure bliss. For me this year's visit comes with new joy and energy (my cancer zapped, though sadly, I will again be without my beloved photographer husband, Ray Quinton, who spent hours with his high-res cameras digitally capturing whatever I asked for).

On the way. It doesn't always rain (truly) - but go equipped with raincoat,umbrella, and suitable footwear.

Enough. I can see that this year's 'Malvern Spring Festival' will be no exception. The 'RHS Malvern Spring Festival' is the first major RHS event of the year and kicks off the RHS festival season on Thursday 5th May until Sunday 8th May 2016.

Alan Titchmarch

Mary Berry

I am reliably told that "over 90,000 peopleare expected to flood to the Three Counties Showground as Godfather of Gardening,Alan Titchmarsh,and National Treasure, Mary Berry, headline the 2016 event."

Each Spring this landmark gardening and food festival brings to the fore the finest from both arenas. Visitors can immerse themselves in stunning show gardens, a floral marquee in full bloom, taste the finest food and drink produce the British isles has to offer, pick up top tips from TV chefs and gardening experts including Valentine Warner, Mark Diacono, BBC Gardeners' World presenters Carol Klein, Christine Walkden, Joe Swift and many more.

Enjoy a quick cuppa, whilst planning your day.

There is always so much on offer, and there is always the danger that you will amble and miss some of what you actually came for. My recommendation is to head straight for one of the excellent eating places, catalogue and notebook in hand, and work out your personal strategy. I've done this for the last ten years and it really is time well spent.

Show Gardens: Just listening to the conversations of visitors who make a beeline for the stunning show gardens can be revealing, demonstrating that we all have different tastes in what we consider to be "a garden". There are nine show gardens, and three Festival Gardens located at the heart of the Festival by the Festival Green.I have to admit that one particular garden has a personal relevance to me, so it will be my first port of call. The 'UCARE Garden' is inspired by Broughton Castle, a fortified manor house near Banbury in Oxfordshire, and home to Lord and Lady Saye and Sele, patrons of the charity. It has been designed to display the beautiful pink UCARE tulip, Tulipa 'Caresse', a symbol of hope in the treatment and care of patients with urological cancers. UCARE is an independent charity, at present based at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford, which I had to visit regularly for radiotherapy treatment in my own fight against breast cancer.

The UCARE garden, inspired by the 'Ladies Garden'at Broughton Castle.

The garden is inspired by the castle's magnificent oak panelled drawing room, crenellated walls and elaborate 19th century Ladies Garden. The design reflects the structure and setting o this historic family home. Like the Hornton ironstone from which Broughton Castle is built, the heavy oak benches and robust steel water feature were chosen for their strength and longevity. (And Broughton is also significant for me as I currently have work being exhibited there.)

New for 2016 is the Kitchen Garden Theatre, to be hosted by Mark Diacono

Tasting, before making a purchasein the Festival Food & Drink Pavilion

Food to the Fore: The lively Festival Food & Drink Pavilion is home to a range of local and international food producers. New for 2016 will be live demonstrations at the Kitchen Garden Theatre hosted by Mark Diacono. of Otter's Farm along with top chef, Valentine Warner. The Theatre is the perfect setting for dedicated foodies to "get their cooking fix" and a place where great food and conversation comes alive. And this year Mark will be joined by special guests.

'Lifestyle Events': there are excellent opportunities for shopping around the Showground. Whether it's related to plants and gardening equipment, or clothing and household goods, one cannot fail to be impressed by so much on offer in such a convenient location. The 'Country Living Pavilion' has much to intrigue and tempt, from designer clothes to household furnishings.

Never forget the children: An opportunity to be conducted around a school garden by a knowledgeable primary school pupil is a privilege. Participating can bring its own rewards in years to come - so often, what inspires in childhood becomes a lifeline passion - gardeners of the future need our encouragement. There's plenty for families too of course in various sections of the Showground.

Family Fun

In just a few days time, I will be at the Showground sampling all the delights of the 2016 RHS Malvern Spring Festival. And particularly fortunate this year, as I am able to spend two whole days there. I have my shopping list, which grows by the minute, and camera and notebook ready so as to be able to write of my time away post-Festival.

The Malvern Hills at sunset (taken on a previous visit) on a lovely evening after an exhilarating day doing what I love.

(With thanks to the Three Counties Showground Press Office for supplying all the photos, apart from the hills in rain and at sunset. Ann Somerset Miles, author and photo-journalist.)

4 comments:

Glad to see you back. We'll be at the show on the Saturday this year, and exploring the northern half of the Forest of Dean either on the Friday or Sunday, as I discovered last year that a strand of my family tree is from there, going back to the mid 1600's.

I have to confess my blog is in hibernation at present - must see which drawere the muse is in.

Lovely to see you on Thursday :) I've just popped in to grab your link for my usual round up of blog posts from the show. Let me know if you publish any others if I fail to notice your FB entries about them!

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About Me

I am a journalist and writer passionate about many things: landscape and the environment; folklore, history and places; books and poetry; creating mixed-media journals in fabric and paper. I am equally addicted to sourcing good food and growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers - weaving together all these topics into a cohesive whole.

ANN SOMERSET MILES IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON EUROPE S.À R.L. ASSOCIATES PROGRAMME, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAMME DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR SITES TO EARN ADVERTISING FEES BY ADVERTISING AND LINKING TO AMAZON.CO.UK